From The Beginning
by AmazonGold
Summary: Think of this as all the scenes we didn't see. This is set during the the storyline of the game focusing on Rush's development into a formidable warrior and the development of his relationships with those around him. Especially with David. Rated T for now.


Author's note: This story follows the storyline of the game focusing on Rush's development into a formidable warrior and the development of his relationships with those around him. Especially with David.

* * *

Lord David Nassau, Marquis of Athlum was sat in the dining room with three of his Generals, he was thinking about the young man they had found with Lady Emma in the cave. They had already checked his background and knew his story to be true but still the young lord had been surprised at how naïve and trusting he was. However he had sensed a power within him and he had long learned to take advantage of any opportunity presented to him to further Athlum's aims.

He looked up as Emma strode in and greeted him formally; David nodded and smiled though he noted that she was alone.

"Is Master Rush not joining us for dinner?" He asked. Immediately the hard warrior's eyes softened and she had a hint of a motherly smile on her face.

"Well, my Lord, despite declaring that he was most definitely _not_ tired even after running all the way from Eulam, I found him face first on the bed, sound asleep and fully dressed." The lady took her seat as a small laugh escaped David's mouth at the vivid image.

"I can see why you didn't wish to disturb him, but what if he wakes and is hungry later?" The Marquis asked as he pushed away an unwelcome thought that he wished he had seen for himself what Rush looked like asleep.

"Not to worry, Lord David, I've warned the staff to be on the lookout for a ravenous dark haired teenager roaming the halls." That got a laugh out of all of them.

David turned to his food then, the fact that all four of his Generals had warmed up to Rush Sykes comforted him to no end. That could only mean that they didn't sense any great threat from him and David felt glad that they were all in agreement that helping the young man find his sister was a worthwhile task.

* * *

The blonde lord had a huge headache; he'd spent most of the morning in the study with Pagus trying to find out more about the Academy's illicit research. The mage in white, Wagram, certainly seemed confident that he had strong backing and David was beginning to wonder if he hadn't bitten off more than he could chew in deciding to help Rush. After all perhaps it was him that was naïve to think that the kidnapping of the daughter of two famous Remnant researchers wouldn't have had something to do with the Academy.

The Marquis was stirred from his thoughts by the unmistakable dull clang of practise swords; he approached the training courtyard to see Emma and Rush locked in a fierce battle. They had been going at it a while judging by the heavy scent of sweat in the air. Rush had been training constantly and pushing himself hard ever since that talk that the two young men had had after the events at Blackdale, seemingly taking to heart David's words of 'If you won't save her then who will?'.

The older man had to admit that he was getting a little worried about his friend, he admired his bravery and his spirit but he couldn't help but feel that Rush was on the fast track to burning out. David winced in sympathy as Emma dodged Rush's two blades, getting behind him and landing a kick to his back that had him eating the dust.

He was up after a moment, wiping a line of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand before lunging at Emma with his blades already starting to swing. But General Honeywell had a lot more battle experience that he did and read him like a book, she deftly avoided the blades. She used the pommel of her right sword to deliver a vicious hit to his left shoulder, making him loosen his grip and his sword was thrown out of reach.

Her continued forward momentum barrelled him over backwards and Rush found the sword in his right hand pinned to the ground by Emma standing on the blade just above the hilt. Rush looked at the twin tips of her swords close to his neck and gulped.

David announced his presence by clapping loudly, Lady Emma straightened up to give him a bow while Rush sat up tiredly and flexed his left shoulder before giving David an exhausted little wave. Emma offered him her hand and pulled him to standing.

"You are doing better." She told him simply, the young man rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"Even though you completely handed my tail to me _again_?" Rush asked emphasising the last word, his pale face flushed from the exertion. The blonde lord found he had to tear his gaze away from Rush's face before he was caught staring.

"You are learning fast but you let your emotions control you and that makes you easy to read." Emma poked him in the forehead, getting an annoyed grunt. "You need to think more."

"In any case, you two must be hungry after working so hard, go get freshened up and then we can have lunch." David told them both, seeing Rush's eyes light up at the mention of food.

"That sounds great, Dave, I'll see you there!" He said excitedly before he darted off. Emma just shook her head, bowed to her lord and left at a much more sedate pace.

* * *

At lunch all seemed well, Rush was inhaling his food like he was never going to eat again as always, all semblance of decorum went out the window whenever Rush joined them for food. Any reprimand for bad manners was met with a wide-eyed blank look of confusion and pretty soon everyone had given up trying to teach him.

The young lord could admit to himself privately that he quite liked Rush's exuberance and welcomed the break from protocol and politeness that his presence brought, it was nice to have someone around who wore his heart on his sleeve, someone who didn't have any hidden agendas.

Though David knew it was more than that, he had a deep infatuation with the younger man that was getting harder and harder to hide with each day that passed by. It certainly didn't help that Rush had no concept of personal space and was forever throwing his arms around people and touching them.

His Generals knew that he liked both women and men; it was their job to know really as they were the ones who helped him to be discreet whenever someone caught his fancy for a while or he just needed some company. This time was different though, as much as the young lord desired Rush, he was holding himself back for two reasons.

The first being he hadn't a single clue about the dark haired man's preferences or even if his feelings were returned – especially as Rush seemed to get on with everyone equally well. The second being that something felt wrong about feeling this way about someone obviously so naïve and sheltered. Although the difference in their ages was only a couple of years, David couldn't help but feel he would be taking advantage of Rush's trust and vulnerability even if his feelings were returned.

The Marquis was stirred from his thoughts as he noticed something strange, Rush seemed to be favouring using his right arm over his left. Normally he used whichever arm was closest to whatever it was that he wanted; he was ambidextrous, which made sense considering his preference for duel-wielding.

"Rush…" David started, waiting till his friend had turned his attention to him. "Are you alright? You don't seem to be using your left arm as much as usual." Rush just stared at him in horror for a second before trying to cover it with a smile.

"Nah, my arm's fine, Dave, thanks for asking though." His brave façade may have fooled them to start with but not now. The Marquis saw Emma's eyes narrow from Rush's side as she grabbed his left shoulder and cruelly pressed her thumb into it.

The effect was immediate. Rush dropped the butter knife he had picked up to 'prove' his arm was alright and let out an involuntary yelp of pain, trying to pull himself away from the warrior woman. Lady Emma let out a 'tsk' though there was concern in her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me that I'd hurt you?!" She scolded him, rising to her feet and pulling Rush with her. "Come on, let's go and get that healed." David bit back a laugh as the teenager's face betrayed that he'd rather not go anywhere with this 'crazy old lady' as he had once called her.

"Wait, no! D-Dave, you gotta help me! Blocter, anybody! Please!" Though his cries went unheeded as Emma dragged him out and closed the door after him. The Marquis did start laughing then, as did the other three.

"That boy does keep things lively, doesn't he?" Pagus stated rhetorically as he wiped a tear from his eye. David could not agree more.

* * *

Later that same night, Lord David was taking a walk through the courtyards to clear his head before he went to bed. They were leaving for Elysion tomorrow and he wanted to be well rested. He came to his mother's garden and stopped short at what he saw. Rush was sat on the bench in the central gazebo, leaning back against one of the pillars. His eyes were closed and his breathing even, he was sleeping. A single purple and white flower was held loosely in his gloved hand.

The Marquis couldn't help but approach him, his footsteps making only the slightest of sounds on the stone. Rush's skin looked even paler in the moonlight and David noticed the lines of stress around his eyes and the bags beneath them.

His lips parted to let out the softest of sighs, he knew it, the younger man was pushing himself beyond reason. David felt an overwhelming urge to help him relax, though what immediately came to mind was highly inappropriate and he pushed the thought to the side as he shook Rush's shoulder gently.

Rush's eyes flew open and for a moment he looked frightened and confused as to where he was. David withdrew his hand and flashed an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you." Rush shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"S'alright. Should probably stop sleeping in your garden anyway." The raven haired man gave him a smile that looked tired and strained. "Is everything ok?" He asked when he was more awake.

"Yes, I was just wandering around, trying to wind down before sleep. I spotted you and wanted to ask if you'd care to join me for a game of cards?" He hoped his face wouldn't give away how eager he was. Rush blinked at him for a second before he smiled again, a bit more normally this time.

"Sure, Dave, that sounds like fun." Rush stood up and David turned to lead the way, inside his head he was cheering, he wondered if he would be able to find out if Rush had any interest in men tonight or not? He was so absorbed with his thoughts that he nearly missed Rush's sad sigh.

"Something wrong?" The older man asked as he dropped in step besides his friend.

"Kinda... it just doesn't feel right to let myself have fun when I know that Irina's still not safe." Rush looked down at the flower he was still holding. David didn't have any siblings and felt a stab of envy at the obvious bond the two had.

"Rush, you need to be at your best to get her back, and yes that does mean training hard, but you've got to take care of yourself and relax sometimes too." He hoped his words would sink in; he would hate it if anything were to happen to the teenager physically or anything that would extinguish that light inside him.

"…Thanks, I really think that's what I needed to hear." Rush's smile was back and this time it lit up all the way to his eyes. If it wasn't for his natural composure and restraint David would have stumbled, thankfully he didn't but he wasn't sure how much longer he could last.

* * *

The next morning found the Marquis yawning as he fastened his saddle onto his horse with practised ease. Despite the noble intention of going to bed early, he and Rush had played cards and talked long into the night. Even though David hadn't got any closer to figuring out the dark haired teenager's feelings or preferences, he had a lot of fun and felt much closer to him than he did before.

He turned around after finishing with his horse to see Rush still holding onto his saddle, staring at the grey horse in front of him. He looked more than a little intimidated, David smiled and walked over.

"You've never ridden a horse before?" He asked as he took the saddle from Rush to show him how to put it on properly.

"Not unless pony rides on the beach count." Rush answered as he looked down briefly in embarrassment, face flushing a light pink. David gave a slight chuckle, truth be told, he had figured this might be the case and so had chosen a good natured mare that was unlikely to give Rush any trouble.

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly, getting on the horse is usually the hardest part." He finished with the saddle and took hold of the reins to keep her steady as Rush took a deep breath and approached. "No, use the other foot, otherwise you'll be sitting on her backwards and it's really hard to ride that way." The older man's voice was encouraging but light.

Rush had to try twice to pull himself up and nearly launched himself over the other side but managed to save himself just in time.

"Oh cool, now I have a lovely view of everyone _staring at me!_" The dark haired man flushed again with embarrassment while the Generals and party members guiltily averted their eyes and went back to their own preparations. David chuckled again as he handed him the reins.

"Don't worry about it, every single one of them had to get on a horse for the first time too." Rush's thankful smile made his heart skip a beat before he proceeded to instruct Rush on the proper way to hold the reins and how to use them to direct the horse plus how to use his heels in the stirrups. Rush listened intently and experimentally walked the horse up and down a few times to get a feel for it.

"This doesn't seem too difficult…" He admitted as he rubbed the horse's neck, knowing it was probably more her doing than his. David quickly pulled himself up on his horse and nodded.

"You'll be a natural in no time, either way; Celeste will take good care of you." David smiled as Rush petted Celeste's neck again. He looked over to the party to make sure they were all ready. "Ok then, let's move out."

* * *

It wasn't until the light started to dim that David decided they should make camp, they had got over the Ivory Peaks without too much trouble and they should reach Elysion by noon tomorrow at the latest.

He'd checked in with Rush a couple of times after they had set out to see how he was getting along and was pleased to see him becoming more confident on the horse so he had left him to it for much of the day. He dismounted elegantly from his horse and was about to unpack his gear from his saddle bags when he heard someone speak behind him.

"Lord David…" It was Torgal who addressed him but he was looking at something else. The Marquis turned and followed his line of sight to spot Rush who was still sitting on Celeste, probably trying to figure out the best way to dismount. David was about to admonish Torgal for making fun of Rush's inexperience when he realised his General's expression was serious without a hint of humour.

That was when the blonde spotted the look of pain on Rush's face, with some effort he managed to get his left leg over the horse so he was sitting side saddle. He then proceeded to try and slide gently off, however his legs buckled under him immediately and he ended up on his back.

David and the sovani rushed over to him, the lord grabbing a hold of the reins to pull Celeste away so she didn't accidently stand on his friend.

"Rush! Are you alright?" David asked him worriedly. His concern spiking when Rush didn't even try to hide it, he just shook his head and closed his eyes in agony.

"I feel like my entire lower half has been rubbed raw by red hot sandpaper." Rush's voice was full of pain. Lord David felt guilt like he'd never felt before, he shouldn't have rode this hard or for this long with a novice among them. He'd had saddle chafing before, and although his case had been small, he remembered how terribly painful it was. The blonde was about to apologise but Torgal spoke first.

"Foolish child! Why didn't you say something sooner?" Torgal's voice was harsh but David had known him long enough to tell he was more concerned than angry. "We could have got you some more padding or a different saddle. We could have gone slower or stopped earlier if you'd just said something!" Rush had put his arm up and over his eyes as he tried to breathe through the searing torture.

"I didn't want to slow you guys down." Rush's sad and soft little voice made David's heart ache and it completely took the wind out of Torgal's tirade. The brown furred sovani shook his head with a sigh of exasperation though he looked at Rush in a very familiar way, the same way he looked at David when he was growing up and still did on occasion.

"Foolish child." Torgal said again but in a much softer tone. He knelt down and easily lifted Rush up from the ground, a groan of pain coming from the mitra as hands touched areas that were sore. "Lord David, I will get Master Sykes seen to by Pagus immediately."

"Thank you, Torgal; I will take care of the horses." He knew that Pagus would be able to heal Rush's pain in an instant but just knowing Rush had suffered in silence for so long made him feel guilty again. He sighed as he turned back to the horses, only just hearing Torgal's voice as he strode away with his charge.

"You ever hide that you're hurting from us again and I'll take you straight to Lady Emma for your healing." David gave a half smile at hearing that and reached up to stroke Celeste's neck, she nuzzled him with her nose affectionately.

"I'm an idiot, Celeste." He said softly to her as she snuffled at his touch. "But I guess that's ok - because he's an idiot too."


End file.
